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Dog Obedience Classes in Minneapolis, MN — Find the Best Trainers

Dog Obedience Classes in Minneapolis, MN

GDBy the GetDogSchool team·Updated 2026·Expert-reviewed
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Obedience classes around Minneapolis range from volunteer clubs that have taught the public for decades to indoor gyms, daycare training rooms, a Ham Lake event center with trials most weekends, and small six-week classes run by in-home trainers.

A class gives your dog practice around distractions that a living room cannot offer, and it gives you a coach watching your timing. This guide covers the kinds of classes on offer in the city and suburbs, what a beginner course usually teaches, how methods differ, and how to choose a class that fits your dog and your week.

What a beginner class usually teaches

Most first-level obedience classes cover a similar set of everyday skills, taught in a group so dogs learn to listen with other dogs nearby.

  • Attention. Teaching the dog to check in with you before anything else can work.
  • Sit, down and stay. Positions held for longer and with more distance as the weeks go on.
  • Loose-leash walking. Walking without dragging you down the sidewalk.
  • Recall. Coming when called, first on a leash or long line.
  • Leave it and waiting at doors. Impulse control for food on the floor, open doors and greetings.
  • Going to a mat. A place to settle while the household carries on.

Local course outlines follow the same shape. A home-based Brooklyn Park trainer’s basic course covers attention, sit, down, wait, loose leash walking, leave it, take it and give, and a second level adds recall, stay, heel and a bed cue. A family-owned Burnsville kennel’s basic obedience class, for dogs over 5 months, teaches controlled leash walking, sit, down, waiting at doorways, recall and going to a mat. A Richfield practice runs outdoor drop-in manners for dogs from 8 weeks, covering recall, anti-jumping, impulse control, loose-leash walking, leave it and greetings.

Clubs, schools and training centers

Two long-running volunteer clubs anchor the class scene. A nonprofit club in Northeast Minneapolis teaches clicker-based positive-reinforcement classes from basic manners through competition obedience, and hosts obedience and rally trials, tracking tests, agility trials and open ring time. A Bloomington club formed in 1956 has about 40 volunteer instructors, teaches obedience from puppy and beginner levels up to advanced competition titles, offers rally at every level with drop-in options, and holds obedience and rally shows each spring and fall.

In the north metro, a Ham Lake training and event center runs dozens of classes a week, from pet manners to competition, and publishes a recommended class progression so you know what follows beginner obedience. A balanced Ramsey training center teaches owners to train their own dogs, with core skills of heeling on leash, sit-stay, down-stay, stand-stay and recall, a second obedience level built around Canine Good Citizen and novice work, and a monthly accountability club for approved clients.

A reward-based Maple Grove school adds short micro classes on single problems such as jumping, noisy behavior and pleasant walks, alongside rally, Canine Good Citizen prep and tricks. A locally owned school with several city locations runs group classes on evenings, weekends and some weekdays, including a seasonal holiday manners class on door greetings, begging and counter surfing.

Gyms, daycares and small-group options

If a standard six-week session does not fit your calendar, a Plymouth indoor gym schedules classes more like a gym membership, with owners training alongside their dogs in every class. An Eden Prairie daycare holds small weekly manners classes in its indoor training room, with a drop-in second level and a separate class for reactive dogs. A Minnetonka pet retreat starts adult dogs in basic manners in an 11,000-square-foot indoor center, useful when January weather rules out outdoor practice.

Smaller groups suit some dogs better. A positive-reinforcement trainer near Prior Lake runs six-week obedience classes, one hour a week, with 4 to 8 dogs, and also teaches through community education in Minnetonka. An Elk River training shop runs six-week classes, including a basic obedience course covering 14 commands and several Canine Good Citizen classes, plus low-commitment stop-in classes and pack walks. In Waconia, a pet supply store offers force-free group training and an open gym.

Some programs blend training and class time. A Spring Lake Park franchise location trains dogs during the day and then holds an evening group class where owners see what their dog learned and how to practice at home.

How methods differ

Obedience classes around Minneapolis cover the full range of methods, and it is worth knowing where a class sits before you sign up.

  • Positive reinforcement and clicker training. Dogs earn food, play or praise for the right choice, and mistakes are managed rather than corrected. Both volunteer clubs, the Plymouth gym and the Maple Grove school describe their training this way.
  • Least-intrusive approaches. Some trainers follow a least intrusive, minimally aversive model and describe the order in which they would ever add anything beyond rewards.
  • Balanced training. Rewards teach new skills, and corrections or tools such as prong collars and e-collars are added at later stages. The Ramsey center, for example, runs an e-collar camp alongside its classes, and the Burnsville kennel describes commands as gently enforced for reliable performance.

No label tells you everything. Ask what happens when a dog ignores a cue, what equipment is allowed or required, and whether you can watch a class first.

Choosing the right class

  • Start at the right level. Many schools require a beginner class before sport or advanced work, and some place dogs by age, such as the Burnsville kennel’s separate classes for younger pups and dogs over 5 months.
  • Check class size and helpers. Ask how many dogs attend and how many instructors are in the room.
  • Consider your dog’s temperament. A dog that barks or lunges at other dogs may do better in a reactive-dog class or with private lessons first. Several local centers run reactive-dog classes.
  • Ask about membership and fees. Volunteer clubs may have membership options, and some businesses publish class prices while others quote on request.
  • Plan the next step. Rally, scent work, agility and Canine Good Citizen classes keep a dog’s skills sharp after a beginner course.

Practicing between classes

A weekly class is really a coaching session; the learning happens in the five-minute practice sessions you fit into walks and meals. Take new skills to new places slowly. Minneapolis has fenced off-leash areas at Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park and by Lake of the Isles, and the larger regional areas at Bryant Lake and Elm Creek require a pass. Practicing a sit or a recall outside the fence, before going in, is a good test of how far your dog has come. At Elm Creek, dogs must be leashed everywhere outside the off-leash area, which makes the walk in a natural loose-leash exercise.

Reviewed Dog Obedience Classes Trainers in Minneapolis

These reviewed Minneapolis-area trainers from our directory are the local options for dog obedience classes. Each links to a full profile with specialties, certified credentials, reviews, and contact info:

See all Minneapolis dog obedience classes trainers →

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a typical obedience course run?

Many local courses run six weeks, with one class a week, including small-group classes near Prior Lake and courses at an Elk River shop and a Burnsville kennel. Gym-style programs in Plymouth and drop-in classes in Richfield and Bloomington let you attend more flexibly.

Is my dog too old for an obedience class?

Rarely. Most beginner classes take adult dogs, and some are designed for all ages, such as an Eden Prairie daycare’s first-level manners class. Older dogs may learn a little more slowly, but they often focus better than puppies.

Can I train toward Canine Good Citizen in Minneapolis?

Yes. Canine Good Citizen classes or prep run at the Bloomington club, a Maple Grove school, a Ramsey training center, an Elk River shop and a home-based Brooklyn Park trainer, among others. Ask each whether the test itself is offered at the end of the course.

What if my dog does not do well around other dogs?

Tell the instructor before enrolling. A reactive dog may need private lessons or a dedicated reactive-dog class, which several local centers and daycares run, before it can relax in a regular group class.

Should I choose a class or private lessons?

Classes are usually the more affordable way to learn the basics and add practice around other dogs. Private lessons suit dogs with a specific problem, dogs that are not ready for a group, or owners with tight schedules. A positive-reinforcement trainer near Prior Lake, for example, offers both in-home private lessons and six-week group classes.

Related: read our complete dog obedience classes guide or the full Minneapolis dog training overview.

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